


half the world away

by Chaosandthecalm



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Friends to Lovers, Huddling For Warmth, M/M, Post-Finale, Trapped, and snuggling for warmth, foraging for food, nerds stuck on a random planet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-19
Updated: 2016-08-11
Packaged: 2018-07-25 09:36:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7527610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chaosandthecalm/pseuds/Chaosandthecalm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“There are five of us and we were all spit out into random parts of the universe and yet here I am. Stuck on the same planet as you.” </p><p>Set after the season one finale. Keith and Lance end up on the same planet, completely cut off from the others. Includes arguing, foraging for food and cuddling for warmth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Lance couldn’t see. In front of him was wave after wave of rolling white clouds streaked with pink and purple. He realized, a moment too late probably, that he had been thrown out of the worm hole. His hands were still gripping his controls but it was useless. He couldn’t tell which was up or down. His heart was thundering as his lion plunged deeper into unknown space. He couldn’t be sure if he was being followed or if the others were somewhere close. Judging from the lack of communication he highly doubted it. Still he tried, calling out each Paladins name and waiting. Finally, he gave up, falling back against his seat and letting the rolling waves take him. His lion was quiet. Any other day he could hear her, nudging him in the right direction, letting him know which button to press or which lever to pull. Now it was radio silence. 

Before he could start to panic the clouds parted and he was faced with a planet, approaching rapidly towards him.

“Shit!” he exclaimed, grabbing the controls and pulling them up, trying not crash into the surface. As far as he could see the entire planet was green. As he got closer, his lion slowly righting itself with his help, he could make out the individual trees. It was sprawling forest, with thick green foliage. The trees must have been over fifty feet tall. He wondered for a second what kind of bugs would lurk in those trees but shook his head. Not the time. 

“Alright gorgeous. Let’s land.” He muttered, looking around for a safe spot. He spotted a clearing not too far away, a rare break in the lines of trees. He maneuvered his lion carefully but still managed to catch the tail on a nearby branch, causing his landing to be a bit bumpy. _Keith could have done that with his eyes closed,_ his brain supplied. He grumbled and stood up. His back ached from being tense and he stretched, his fingers tips touching the ceiling of the cock pit. 

“Alright. Time to explore.” He said, after trying to contact the others one more time without any luck. 

Lance walked out of the lion slowly, looking around. The trees were so thick around him that he couldn’t see very far into them. The trunks were wrapped with thick vines the size of his forearm. He couldn’t see any bugs but he could hear the wild life. Screeches and buzzing that sounded like nothing you would hear on earth. He shuddered as a piercing scream rang out over the tree tops. He definitely didn’t want to find out what made that particular sound. 

The soil was soft when his boot finally made contact and he sank down into it. The desire to stick close to the ship was only overpowered by the desire to find water. His mouth was bone dry from panic. 

“Alight so rain forest. That usually means water right?” 

Before he could step any further into the trees he heard a sound, something like a cloth tearing. He looked around and saw nothing except his lion, sitting and waiting for his return. He glanced up and his eyes widened. Another lion had broken through the sky, coming quickly toward him. He couldn’t’ see the color but at this point it didn’t matter. 

“Over here!” 

Logically he knew whoever it was couldn’t hear him but still he ran into the clearing, waving his arms. The small patch of earth had barely been big enough for him to land but still he didn’t take his eyes of the lion. As it approached he caught a glimpse of red and his heart sank.

“Oh man…”

Keith landed gracefully next to him, wind kicking up dead leaves and blowing them at Lance. They stuck to his uniform and he picked them off, grumbling. The mouth of the red lion dropped opened and Keith walked out, looking around him. Lance sighed and went to meet him. 

“There are five of us and we were all spit out into random parts of the universe and yet here I am. Stuck on the same planet as you.” Lance said as he approached. Keith wasn’t paying attention, just looking out, into the dark forest. 

“Did you say something?” he asked, barely glancing at Lance. 

“Forget it. Asshole.”

“Yeah, yeah. Can you contact the others?” 

Lance crossed his arms.

“If I could would I be in this situation right now?”

Keith’s eyebrows furrowed and he turned away from Lance. There was something entirely infuriating about Keith’s’ indifference to him. Their rivalry was only as strong as their mutual effort and Keith’s was seriously lacking. 

“Hey…” Lance grumbled, grabbing Keith’s elbow to turn him around. Keith faced him slowly, violet eyes locking on Lance’s face. Lance could feel the slight rumble of his heart in his chest and he ignored it. 

“What the hell are we going to do? We don’t even know where the hell we are.” 

Keith was just looking at him, blinking slowly. Lance watched the flutter of his eyelashes, so disgustingly long. Then Keith reached out a hand and Lance jerked away, but not before Keith managed to pluck a wet leaf from his cheek.

“Could you seriously not feel that?” Keith asked, raising an eyebrow. Lance could feel his face flushing and he took a step back.

“I was too distracted by my hate for you!” 

Keith sighed, turning away again.

“Right. Well…I think we should just wait here.” 

Lance let the words sink in and then threw his hands up.

“That’s your genius plan?! Just wait here? We don’t even know where here is!” 

Keith turned to look at him, clearly annoyed.

“Allura managed to track the lions before right? So if we stay here and wait then she will find us. If we go running around in space, we’ll get even more lost.” 

Lance opened his mouth to argue before he realized that might actually be the best course of action. 

“Fine. We’ll do your plan.” He mumbled, pointedly not looking at Keith. 

“It’s hot.” 

Lance glanced over at Keith, an insult already on the tip of his tongue and froze. Keith had produced some sort of hair tying device from God knows where and had pulled his stupid mullet back into a ponytail. Lance stared at the nape of his neck, so rarely seen.

“You look less stupid.” He said, the words spilling out before he could stop them. Keith just huffed out a laugh and walked over to the nearest tree. Lance followed, swallowing thickly. He was still thirsty. 

“We need water.” Keith said, placing a hand on the trunk of the tree. He tapped it with his knuckles, his dumb fingerless gloves pulling tight over the back of his hand.

“Fingerless gloves are dumb. Gloves are supposed to keep your fingers warm. Who gets cold palms?” 

“Shut up.”

Keith reached down and grabbed his Bayard. The sword appeared in a flash of light and Lance watched, eyebrows furrowed as Keith slowly dug the tip of it into the trunk of the tree.

“Uh….”

Keith pulled it out and a slow stream of water began to trickle from the wood. 

“Woah.” Lance whispered, reaching out his hand and dipping his fingertips into the rivulet of water. 

“You’re not as dumb as you look.” He said, flashing Keith a bright smile. The other just gave him another unamused look.

“If we get some leaves we can catch the water. That should be good enough for now. Later we can go and try to find food.”

Lance had cupped his hand under the stream, bringing it to his mouth every few seconds. 

“That’s a good plan.” He said, his mouth finally not feeling like he had been chewing on cotton. Keith handed him a large leaf, thick and sturdy, and he held it against the trunk. It filled slowly with clear water and he handed the leaf to Keith once it had started to sag with the weight. Keith blinked at him, clearly surprised, but took it. 

“Ladies first.” Lance said, smiling, once Keith took a sip. He was met with a glare, violet eyes flashing. 

They drank their fill and Keith suggested they take a break before venturing into the forest. 

“Maybe there’s food in the lions somewhere.” 

Lance led Keith into his lion first, feeling antsy. The first time everyone had no choice but to be there. And it hadn’t been his lion yet, not officially. Now it _was_. Having someone there felt almost intimate, like inviting someone into your bedroom. Of course at the current moment that someone was Keith. Who still had his hair pulled back. 

“Where do you think Allura would stash food for us?” Keith mumbled, looking around the cock pit. There weren’t a lot of places to stash things in general. It was a pretty small space, designed for the Paladin and not much more. 

“Doesn’t look like we’re going to find much.” Lance said, turning around in the cramped space. With Keith there it felt almost claustrophobic. 

“Want to check mine?” Keith asked, jerking his head towards the exit. Lance shrugged, following him out. He had never been inside of Keith’s lion. 

The cock pit was pretty much the same, maybe even smaller than his. He looked down at the seat and could picture Keith sitting there, hands gripping the controls. Those hands that could fly through a meteor shower without so much as a scratch.

“Lance?” 

Lance jumped and turned to look at Keith, who was watching him.

“Yours is smaller than mine.” Lance said quickly. Keith’s eyebrow raised and his mouth tugged up into a smile.

“Wanna bet?” he asked. It took Lance a moment to realize that Keith had made a joke. And not only was it a joke but a _dirty_ joke. Lance laughed, too loud in the confined space. 

“Oh Keith. That was awful. You should be embarrassed.” Lance wheezed, despite the fact that he could feel himself blushing. Keith was still smiling as he shook his head, opening up random compartments and coming up empty handed. 

“I guess that settles it. We’re going to have to look for food.”

~~

Lance had suggested that their best course of action would be to split up, and after some (loud) arguing Keith begrudgingly agreed. In all honestly Lance just needed to get away from him for a bit. It had grown increasingly more hot as time went on and Keith had shed his uniform, now only wearing his black V-neck and tight black jeans. Lance had taken one look at him and felt the sudden urge to run into the opposite direction. 

Now he made his way carefully through the forest. He could hear Keith someone near, twigs snapping under his boots. They hadn’t come across any wildlife, for which Lance was grateful. He ended up finding a stream with some berries growing along its bank. He quickly pulled some of the branches off, the bright red berries barely clinging on. They were a little bigger than a grape, with tiny white stripes. Lance examined them closely and hoped they wouldn’t position them as he carefully wrapped them up in some leaves. He followed the stream and found some more bushes filled with tiny blue fruits. They looked like small plums, expect their skin was slightly prickly. He poked at them with a finger and found them to be soft, despite their spiky appearance. He picked as many as he could carry and followed the stream back to where he started. 

From there he could make out the break in the trees where their lions were sitting patiently. He made his way over carefully, only tripping on roots a few times. Keith was already back, sitting down at the mouth of his lion, various things spread out on a bed of leaves in front of him. It seemed he had found the same red berries than Lance had as well as a few large nuts. 

“I hope they come rescue us soon. I’m not the type of man who can live off of nuts and berries.”

“At least it’s better than space goop.” Keith mumbled, turning a berry in his fingers. Lance snorted and crouched down next to him. Keith’s hair was still pulled up and now the back of his neck was slightly pink from being out in the sun. Lance felt his fingers itch. 

“So what are the chances that we’ll get poisoned and die?” Lance asked, looking over their meagre pile of food. 

“I saw some kind of squirrel eating these,” Keith said, pointing to the berries, “so they should be safe. And nuts are generally ok.”

“What about this?” Lance asked, holding up one of the blue fruits. Keith looked at it closely, taking it from Lance. Their fingers brushed and Lance pulled back quickly. It was sweltering outside. 

Keith examined the fruit for a second before he shrugged and took a bite. Lance squawked at him, reaching out and pulling the fruit away.

“Are you an idiot?!” 

Keith was still chewing calmly, blinking at Lance with his stupid violet eyes.

“It seems fine. Tastes kind of like grapes.” 

Lance sighed, his head falling forward. 

“I could strangle you right now.” 

Keith just shrugged again, picking up a nut and crushing it under his boot. It came apart in two equal halves and inside of the shell were a few perfectly round nuts. Keith peeled one out, popping it in his mouth. Lance watched as Keith chewed, his face screwed up in concentration.

“It tastes like hazelnuts.” He said after a while, holding it out for Lance. He took a deep breath and took one, eating it cautiously. He didn’t have a death wish, unlike Keith. 

“Alright emo boy. How do you feel?”

Keith frowned at him.

“I feel fine. Just eat.” 

They sat back against Keith’s lion, the giant metal beast bending over to provide them with shade. As they looked out over the forest it started to slowly go dark.

“I guess it’s almost nighttime.” Keith said quietly. Lance glanced over at him. He had his head tipped back against the lion, eyes half lidded and unfocused. He looked relaxed for once. 

“So sleeping wise…” Lance started. He didn’t get to finish. A wind blew through the clearing and his breath caught in his throat. The temperature had dropped so much that he felt his fingertips go numb. He looked over at Keith who was pale as a ghost, his hands gripping his arms. 

“What the hell…” Lance managed to get out. His teeth were chattering. Keith slowly climbed to his feet.

“Inside. Now.” He whispered, his breath fogging out in front of him. They stumbled inside of the lion, the metal mouth shutting loudly behind them. Lance let out a breath. Away from the cold wind it was slightly warmer, but the metal ship they were in didn’t provide much insulation. 

“That was uncalled for.” Lance grumbled, rubbing his arms to get some feeling back into them. Keith was doing the same, as well as stomping his feet against the floor. He was still extremely pale and this close Lance could just barely make out a smattering of freckles along his nose. He looked away quickly.

“I guess we’re stuck in here for the night. There is no way I’m going back out there.” Lance said. Keith hummed in agreement, leading towards the cock pit. They ducked inside, the humming controls radiating some heat. 

“Good thing we’re in my lion.” Keith mumbled, settling down in his control chair. 

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

Keith looked over at him, smiling.

“Yours has ice powers. Duh.” 

Lance opened his mouth then shut it with a loud click, a laugh bubbling out of him. 

“You know what…you’re not so bad, Mullet.” 

Keith shot him a glare over his shoulder and Lance couldn’t help the smile that spread over his face. They both fell into an almost comfortable silence; the only sound was the low hum of the lion. Keith had leaned back in his chair and pulled his knees up against his chest. He looked small like that and Lance allowed himself to watch him for a moment. The hours of training that Keith had been doing lately were clearly paying off. His arms were corded with muscle and his shoulders were broad when they weren’t hidden under that dumb jacket. 

Lance slid down to the floor, only knocking his elbow against the wall once. Keith turned around to look at him. 

“We should sleep.” He said quietly. Lance looked around the tiny space, his eyebrows raising. 

“Where exactly do you propose we do that?” 

Keith looked almost nervous as he waved at the small area between the door and the back of his chair. It could barely fit Lance, and that’s if he laid down on his side. There was no way both of them could fit. 

“How about you sleep right there and I’ll take the floor.” Lance suggested, stretching his legs out, his feet pressing against the opposite wall. Keith was chewing on his bottom lip with his perfectly straight teeth. Lance looked away. 

“I can’t keep the lion on all night.” 

Lance waited for him to continue.

“She needs her rest too Lance. The panel will overheat. As soon as she shuts off it’ll be freezing. And we don’t have any blankets.”

Lance blinked at him, realization slowly sinking in. They would have to huddle. Share body heat. 

“Absolutely not.” 

Keith huffed in frustration, turning himself around completely to glare at Lance.

“Do you want to freeze to death?” 

Lance crossed his arms across his chest. 

“I’m not _snuggling_ with my rival! My reputation will be ruined!”

“What reputation?! And for the last time – we are not rivals.” 

Lance didn’t dignify that with an answer.

“Lance, if we don’t do this we will die. Who knows how much colder it will get.” 

Already the cold was starting to seep in through the walls. The metal against Lance’s back was already freezing. He sighed, his eyes closing in defeat.

“if you tell anyone about this….” He said quietly. Keith snorted and Lance could hear him shifting, sliding out of the chair and down onto the floor. Lance could feel the heat from his skin.

“Like I would want to. This is embarrassing for me too you know.”

Lance opened his eyes to retort but stopped. Keith was close, inches away from. His eyes were watching Lance’s face for a reaction but Lance was frozen. The small space seemed even smaller with both of them in it. Lance shifted to the side, leaving a patch of floor for Keith. They settled down next to each other, their legs pressed together tightly. 

“Cozy.” Lance managed to choke out. Keith was looking straight ahead but if he turned his nose would be practically touching Lance’s cheek. He swallowed thickly and clasped his hands in his lap. Despite his earlier protests having Keith so close was helping him warm up. The thigh pressed against his was spreading heat through him slowly, making him shiver. 

They were silent for a long while. Eventually the lion grew silent as well, the panel going dark. Keith had breathed in sharply, clearly realizing that they were completely on their own. Lance’s palms were itching again. 

“Look…it’ll be fine. They’ll find us.” Lance mumbled. Keith looked over at him and he was so close that Lance couldn’t breathe. 

“Personal space buddy.” He said quietly, keeping his eyes straight ahead. Keith just stayed where he was, eyes trained on the side of Lance’s face. 

“Yeah, you’re probably right.” He said finally, shifting down until he was laying on the floor. Lance let out a slow breath and did the same, his hip sliding against Keith’s. Laying down felt even more intimate than sitting. Every inch of his right side was pressed against Keith. 

“Go to sleep Lance.” Keith mumbled, when Lance kept trying to adjust.

“This isn’t exactly the most comfortable situation dude.”

Keith huffed and twisted around until his back was facing Lance. 

“Just…come here.” 

Lance froze, wondering if he actually heard what he thought he heard. Then Keith’s’ hand was reaching back and tugging him forward. He let himself be pulled until his arm was draped over Keith’s waist. His hips slotted against Keith and he could feel his face flushing. Suddenly he was way too hot, the cold completely forgotten. 

“Uh…”

“Goodnight Lance.” 

After a while Lance relaxed, his body melting against the warmth of Keith’s back. He listened to Keith’s steady breathing and finally sleep came over him. 

~~


	2. Chapter 2

Lance woke up with drool drying on his cheek and his shirt sticking to him with sweat. He groaned, his back protesting from sleeping on the floor, and sat up. Keith was still asleep, curled up on his side next to Lance. His hair was sticking to his forehead and the nape of his neck. The cock pit was incredibly hot. Lance blinked against the sun beaming in through the windows. 

“Hey…wake up…” he mumbled, nudging Keith lightly. All he got in return was a grunt and a light slap. He sighed, trying to stand without accidentally kicking the sleeping lump next to him. His back cracked as he stretched, the tips of his fingers brushing the metal ceiling. He could hear Keith shifting below him and he looked down. Keith was sitting up and brushing the hair from his face. When he looked up at Lance and blinked sleepily something tugged low in Lance’s stomach. 

“I think I have food poisoning.” He said quietly, trying to figure out how to leave without touching Keith. The damn hair tie was back and Keith was brushing his hair back.

“No you don’t. Just calm down.” 

“I can’t calm down! Not when we’re stuck here and it’s a million degrees and you’re – “ he cut himself off and tried to ignore Keith stare.

“I’m what? It’s a little early for insults but if it’ll make you feel better…” 

“Shut up! Can we just…go? Somewhere?” Lance grumbled, moving back against the wall as much as he could. Keith was still on the floor, looking up at Lance with those stupid eyes. He sighed and slowly stood, brushing against Lance for a moment. 

“Alright fine. Let’s go get some breakfast. Then maybe we can find somewhere to take a bath.” 

Lance’s raised an eyebrow.

“A bath? Why?”

Keith looked back at him blankly.

“Because it’s hot? And I probably stink?”

“You don’t.” 

Keith looked at him for a long moment and Lance felt his cheeks burning. He wasn’t lying. Keith always smelled…acceptable. Even after training when he was dripping with sweat he still smelled like wind and grass and something mechanical, almost like metal. 

“Just…do whatever you want man.” Lance mumbled, pushing past Keith to get to the door. He could feel his heart racing. It was only day two and he was already on edge. He cursed his luck for the millionth time since he saw that damn red lion land on this dumb planet. 

“Of all the people…” he grumbled, walking down the bridge until his feet sank into the soft earth. The sun was beating down on him already, his t-shirt sticking to his back. 

“Stupid planet…” he grumbled, making his way over to the line of trees in front of him. The hole that Keith had gouged was still in one of the trunks, a steady stream of water trickling out. Lance cupped his hand under it and brought it to his lips to drink. The water was cool and mostly clear and for that he was grateful. 

He could hear Keith’s heavy footsteps on the metal bridge behind him and he stood still, not turning around. A moment later Keith was at his side, holding another sturdy green leaf to get some water. Lance dared to glance over at him. His hair was still pulled back, tiny wispy threads sticking to the nape of his neck. He was wearing his black t shirt and his stupid gloves were still on. 

“Seriously man – what’s with the gloves?” he asked, raising at eyebrow. Keith blinked at him, ridiculously long eyelashes fluttering. 

“What do you mean?”

“I _mean_ \- they don’t do anything. Why do you always wear them?” 

Keith seemed to actually think about it for a long moment, his eyebrows furrowing. Lance watched him closely, expression blank.

“Aesthetic?” Keith finally answered, shrugging. Lance gaped at him.

“Are you serious right now?” 

Keith just kept looking at him, bringing the leaf to his mouth to take a sip of water. Lance sighed, rubbing his eyes.

“Jesus…we need to get off this planet.”

~~

Somewhere deep down Lance realized that his slight…obsession with Keith wasn’t healthy. Even deeper down he also acknowledged the fact that Keith…smelled really good. And his eyes were almost too pretty. And yeah, maybe the stupid gloves worked on him. Immediately after getting some water Lance announced that he was going to go look for more food and maybe a bigger water source. Keith agreed and had gone off in the opposite direction after telling Lance not to get lost.

“How about you don’t get lost, idiot.” He grumbled as he pushed aside some low hanging branches. He recognized the path he took the day before and followed it until he reached the tiny stream where he had found the berries. It was thin but clear. He decided to follow it to see if it led to anything bigger. He imagined dipping into a cool lake and sighed. His clothes were completely sticking to him with sweat now. The sun wasn’t relenting, even under the canopy of trees. 

His feet sank into the soft soil as he made him way through the forest slowly. The stream got slightly wider as he kept walking, only briefly thinking about how long it would take him to make it back to the clearing. 

After what felt like hours he finally saw the stream dipping over the edge of a small mound of earth. He made his way over and almost cried in relief. Below him was a pond. It was relatively small but the water was clear and it seemed deep. Throwing a victorious fist into the air he stripped off his shirt before pausing. Keith was still out there somewhere. Lance groaned and slipped his shirt back on, the damn material clinging to him immediately. 

“Damn it.”

~~

Keith was already back at the clearing when Lance broke through the trees. He glanced up briefly, smiling and went back to looking over his pile of nuts and berries.

“I found food.” 

“That’s great man. But I found something way better.” 

Keith looked at him skeptically but still followed when Lance led him back into the forest. It didn’t take as long to reach the pond the second time, despite Keith’s presence looming behind him.

“I can feel you doubting me.” Lance said as they walked. He could hear a small huff behind him and he smiled. 

When they reached the pond Lance turned to Keith, ‘I told you so’ already on the tip of his tongue, and froze. Keith eyes were wide and he was smiling, his lips slightly parted in surprise. When he glanced over at Lance it felt like a slap in the face.

“Uh…I told you so?”

Keith wasn’t listening. He hopped off the small ledge they were on and dipped a hand into the water. It rippled around his fingers and Lance couldn’t tear his eyes away. 

“It’s cold.” Keith sighed, clearly pleased. A second later he was standing and ripping his shirt off, his hair falling out of its ponytail and sticking to his cheeks. Then he pulled the gloves off, dropping them on the ground. Lance was frozen, his heart racing. 

“You coming?” Keith asked, his hands already working his jeans down his legs. Lance tried to speak but instead could only nod. He forced his eyes away from Keith’s black boxer briefs and his toned legs. 

After another second Lance snapped out of it, his hands shaky as he slipped his own clothes off quickly. Keith went ahead without him, wading into the water with a quiet sigh. Lance watched him duck under then shake his head as he came up. The next time he looked at Lance his hair was sticking to his cheeks, hanging over his eyes and one long strand was just barely brushing his lips. 

Lance took a deep breath and dove into the water. It was shockingly cold and his lungs seized for a second which cause him to come up spluttering. Keith let out a breathless laugh but kept swimming in slow circles. He was as graceful in the water as he was everywhere else. 

“Thank you.” 

Lance glanced up at Keith’s voice, blinking water out of his eyes.

“I’m sorry what was that? Did the almighty Keith just _thank_ me?” 

Keith rolled his eyes but he was smiling. 

“You’re an idiot.” 

Lance just grinned, wading over until they were side by side. Keith was still looking at him, that same soft smile on his face. Lance watched as a drop of water slipped down over his cheekbone. The air was still unbearably hot but the water was cool against his skin. He felt his breath catch as he realized just how close they had drifted. He could make out the freckles on Keith’s nose. 

“You have freckles…” he said quietly, his eyes widening. Keith looked at him, his violet eyes blinking slowly. They were little drops of water clinging to his eyelashes. 

“Do I?” Keith asked, so softly that Lance almost didn’t catch it. They were even closer now. Lance could feel the warmth of Keith’s body. 

He wanted to kiss Keith. The realization hit him square in the chest and he backed away, inhaling water and choking loudly. Keith was staring at him like he had grown an extra head.

“Are you ok?”

Instead of answering Lance just glared at him, trying to find purchase on the slippery rocks under his feet. Keith rolled his eyes and turned away, swimming to the other side of the pond, which wasn’t very far but still far enough.

~~

They trudged back to the clearing in silence, their clothes clutched in their hands. They stayed in the water until they were pruney and shivering. When they saw the shadows of the trees staring to stretch they immediately got out. The idea of still being there when the cold hit had Lance’s teeth chattering. 

He could see the Lions ahead of them, just a few feet away when the first gust of wind blew in. The lingering moisture on his skin turned icy and he gasped, his breath catching. Keith was shivering, his arms wrapped tightly around his chest.

“H-hurry.” He said, his mouth barely moving. They broke into a run and just reached the edge of the walkway when the second wind hit them. Lance felt like he was dying. He was cold down to his bones. Keith stumbled as he tried to walk up the metal bridge, his breath puffing out in white bursts in front of him. Lance placed one icy hand on his back and pushed him forward. 

Finally, they were inside and the mouth closed, cutting off the cold air. They stood there, trying to catch their breath, shivering.

“We almost died…” Lance whispered. Keith’s was so pale that even his freckles were invisible. 

“Let’s...” he managed to say, jerking his head in the direction of the cock pit. Lance followed him, pulling on his clothes as he went. It provided very little relief and he rubbed his arms quickly, trying to get some warmth into them. 

They made it inside and Keith tossed his jacket to him, his movements stiff. They huddled down onto the floor, side by side, without a word. Lance could still hear Keith’s teeth chattering. 

“Come here.” 

Keith looked over at him, brows furrowed. Lanced lifted his arm, gesturing for Keith to move closer. There was a heavy silence and Lance would blush if his blood wasn’t currently frozen in his veins. Finally, Keith shifted closer, tucking himself under Lance’s arm. Right away Lance could feel some warmth returning to his skin where Keith was touching him. They sat in silence, except for the occasional sniffle from Keith. 

“We should get some sleep.” Keith mumbled, his face pressed against Lance’s chest. Lance hoped that he couldn’t hear his heart pounding. 

“I guess we should.” 

They pushed themselves down the wall slowly, laying on the cold metal floor. Keith pushed even closer into Lance’s side, fingers curling into his jacket.

“Is this ok?” he asked, his breath warm against Lance’s neck. He didn’t trust his voice so he nodded. His arm was still wrapped around Keith and his fingers were gripping the dip of his waist. His face was burning with the effort of breathing normally. 

“Lance, relax.” Keith mumbled. 

“I am relaxed.”

“Really? Because it feels like I’m being held by a robot.” 

Lance swallowed thickly. He was holding Keith. Who was holding him right back. His spine slowly relaxed and he pulled Keith closer. There was a soft sound as Keith inhaled sharply and Lance froze again. 

“Sorry…I’ll just- “Keith tried pulling back but Lance just tightened his hold. Keith looked up at him, so incredibly close. Lance swept his gaze over the freckles, the thick black eyelashes and the violet eyes. His whole body felt hot. 

Keith’s breath was unsteady as he looked at him, his eyes never leaving Lance’s face. God they were close. Keith’s fingers tugged Lance’s jacket and he moved forward, their noses brushing. His breath caught. Keith’s lips brushed his and something snapped inside of Lance. He surged forward, capturing Keith’s lips and kissing him deeply. His hand slid up and into Keith stupid hair and _God_ , it was so soft. Keith sighed as Lance’s fingers wound in the strands, tugging slightly. Lance rolled over until he was braced over Keith, their chests pushed together. He wasn’t sure who’s heart was beating harder. Keith was making soft sounds against his lips, his hands dragging down the expanse of Lance’s back. The air between them was stifling, all thoughts of the cold forgotten. Lance couldn’t pull away, not even to breathe. Keith was warm and practically melting against him and he couldn’t get enough. 

“You’re gorgeous…” he breathed out as he broke the kiss, gasping for breath. Keith was panting, his eyes half lidded and his lips kiss swollen. Lance practically groaned as he looked at him.

“Idiot.” Keith whispered back before pulling Lance forward again. 

They kissed until their mouths were sore and their clothes were sticking to them with sweat. Keith ran his hands over Lance’s back over and over, fingers catching against the folds of his jacket. Lance’s hands were tugging the strands of Keith’s hair, pulling breathy moans from him. He wanted to strip Keith bare, see if those freckles were scattered over his shoulders too. 

After what felt like a lifetime Keith pulled away and blinked up at Lance. He looked absolutely wrecked and Lance groaned, burying his face in Keith’s neck. 

“You’re unfair.” He grumbled. Keith breathed out a laugh and pushed Lance over so they were side by side again. Their hands found each other and their fingers wove together. It felt so natural that Lance felt his heart skip. Stupid Keith.

“Now what?” Keith asked quietly. Lance didn’t have an answer so he stayed silent. Eventually they fell asleep, still wrapped up in each other.

~~

Lance woke up to a loud tearing sound. He jerked up and looked through the window of the cock pit. His eyes widened as Allura’s ship slowly descended toward them, the tops of the massive trees swaying. He turned around and froze for a second. Keith was curled up on his side, his hair messy from Lance’s hands. There was a tiny purple bruise on the side of his neck that Lance knew came from his mouth. He couldn’t breathe for a second. 

“Keith. Buddy, get up.” He said quietly, leaning down to shake Keith’s shoulder. There was a pause and then long eyelashes fluttered and Keith looked up at him. Then he smiled, soft and warm, and Lance’s chest seized. God he was screwed. 

“Our savior has arrived.” He said, jerking his head towards the window. Keith’s eyes widened and he sat up, running a hand through his hair.

“Thank God.” He breathed out as he saw the shiny white ship. Lance couldn’t agree more. Keith got up and stretched, his shirt riding up just enough to expose the cut of his hipbones over his waistband. Lance flushed and looked away.

“Hey.” 

Lance turned to look back at him and was met with the soft press of Keith’s lips against his. 

“Let’s talk more when we get back.” He said, his mouth brushing Lance’s with every word. Lance just nodded, his throat closing around any words. Keith smiled and pulled away, turning to walk outside. Lance couldn’t help the smile that spread over his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank the lord it's finally doneeee. Thank you for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Why won't these dummies leave me alooooone. I just love them. 
> 
> Thank you for reading! Comments make my soul happy <3


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